Chapter 4: The Angel
Nikki had been right, it had been an exciting day, but then almost everyday was exciting when you were a homicide cop - well except for paperwork days. Someone had been tampering with their case evidence, as if they were trying to incriminate someone else or at least delete themselves from the suspect list. Sara got home from work and crashed on her couch. She was beginning to tire of this. every day it there was some new puzzle to be solved and every night there were visions to plague her sleep. Her candle was burning at both ends, and if she didn't get a break from it soon, she was going to snap.
Across town, Nikki could feel a disturbance in the web of the blade's sphere of influence. She decided that it might be a wise idea to go and pay Sara Pezinni a visit. Somewhere - else, someone else had a similar inclination to pay the homicide detective a little visit.
Nikki studied the door to Sara's apartment carefully, waiting for the Witchblade to alert the wielder to her presence. She knew that Sara was dozing and didn't really want to disturb her. Suddenly she could feel someone else in the hall with her, she tried to ignore them.
"Hey, who are you and what are you doing lurking like that?" A strangely familiar voice inquired. Nikki turned to slowly face the source of the voice. Before her was a figure that she had never expected to ever see - again.
"The angel." Nikki said softly, her face turning almost sad. The door to the apartment opened and when Gabriel looked to it, Nikki disappeared.
"Nikki?" a groggy Sara called.
"You know her?" Gabe inquired.
"Yeah, something's not right. I've never seen her - emotional."
"She did seem sad."
"I know, and that's not like her. Follow me, we're going to go see what's up."
"Sure thing Chief."
Nikki sat on her couch in shock. He was back, he was actually here. She hadn't expected to ever see him again. Not after what had happened the last time she had seen him so long ago. Not after she had hurt him so deeply.
"Hey Nikki, you okay in there?" A concerned Pez called.
"Sara?"
"Yeah."
"Come in, the door is open." Nikki said, her voice barely reaching the other side of the door. Sara opened the door and she and Gabe entered the apartment.
"You brought him. * sigh *" Nikki said, her voice distant.
"Is that a problem?"
"No, not really."
"What's up?"
"Time - memories - a lot of things. You cannot understand how truly lucky you are to be able to die and be reborn. You get to forget while I have to live with each and every memory - unending."
"Um what is she talking about Sara?"
"I suppose I should explain myself Gabriel." Nikki said, her voice unusually soft.
"H-how did you know my name?" Gabe inquired. Nikki looked him deep in the eyes allowing hers to flash and swirl like the gem in the Witchblade.
"I know a lot of things Mr. Bowman. I know things that you would never believe. I know things that would make your blood run cold. I know things that would burn your soul. I know things that you would sell your soul to find out."
"How?" Gabe asked. Nikki turned and looked out the window.
"A seed, from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, planted in the womb of a barren woman. She shall become timeless, this child. She shall guard, she shall watch, she shall protect and if necessary, she shall wield." Nikki quoted.
"What?"
"I am the living soul of the Witchblade. Created by it, from it, for it. Never given the choice, my fate sealed before I was even born." Nikki said sadly.
"Whoa! But why are you telling me this"
"There shall be four entities to guard, to aid, to help. They shall be drawn to the blade. One to wield - One to guard - One to record - and One to support. These entities shall carry these duties for all time be they timeless or not. The Lady, The Knight, The Phoenix, and the Angel. These shall be the facets, these shall be forever bout to the Blade, and so bound to each other."
"Whoa - " was all that Gabriel could say.
"I never thought that I would see the Angel again. Not after what happened the last time."
"What happened?" Sara asked.
"Due to what I am and how I was raised, I did not have much experience with people or emotions. When I found the three of you, I bonded instantly. I came to learn that I was fiercely protective - overprotective. Of the 3, I was closest to the Angel, and so most protective of him. One day, he told me that he had to leave. There was a battle being fought and he was needed. I didn't want him to go, I knew that if he left, he would not return. I grew very angry. I said things that I did not mean, I hurt him very deeply. After that day, I have not seen him until today. It has been well over a millennium." Nikki walked away - her posture was defeated - drained. Gabriel looked at her staring in wonder and disbelief.
"Sara, may I see the Witchblade please? It is calling to me."
"Sure." Sara said, slightly confused as she handed Nikki the Blade. Phoenix placed the blade upon her own wrist and it instantly snaked its way up her arm. The gem was at her wrist, but it wasn't exactly a bracelet nor was it a gauntlet. A silvery tendril extended itself, winding its way up her arm like a long lost lover. It did so so quickly that the eye could hardly follow. It looked to be magic how the Witchblade was attached to her wrist, rather her arm. And at the same time, one could see how it would be very difficult to remove the Blade from her person.
"Gabriel, give me your hand." Nikki said softly her voice trying to avoid emotion, though there was something playing in her voice. Gabe looked to Sara who shrugged, unsure.
"I'd love to help you here Gabe, but I think that this choice is yours and yours alone." Sara said her eyes reassuring.
"Gabriel, know that I would never harm you. What happened so long ago shall not happen again, but you need to know, you need to understand, and this is the easiest and safest way. Besides, the Blade misses you, it remembers you. it always knows its partners in crime." Nikki said with a soft smile. Gabriel tentatively reached his hand out to the strange girl - Nikki. Nikki took his hand in her Witchblade hand. They were instantly thrown into a world of times so long past.
Nikki had been right, it had been an exciting day, but then almost everyday was exciting when you were a homicide cop - well except for paperwork days. Someone had been tampering with their case evidence, as if they were trying to incriminate someone else or at least delete themselves from the suspect list. Sara got home from work and crashed on her couch. She was beginning to tire of this. every day it there was some new puzzle to be solved and every night there were visions to plague her sleep. Her candle was burning at both ends, and if she didn't get a break from it soon, she was going to snap.
Across town, Nikki could feel a disturbance in the web of the blade's sphere of influence. She decided that it might be a wise idea to go and pay Sara Pezinni a visit. Somewhere - else, someone else had a similar inclination to pay the homicide detective a little visit.
Nikki studied the door to Sara's apartment carefully, waiting for the Witchblade to alert the wielder to her presence. She knew that Sara was dozing and didn't really want to disturb her. Suddenly she could feel someone else in the hall with her, she tried to ignore them.
"Hey, who are you and what are you doing lurking like that?" A strangely familiar voice inquired. Nikki turned to slowly face the source of the voice. Before her was a figure that she had never expected to ever see - again.
"The angel." Nikki said softly, her face turning almost sad. The door to the apartment opened and when Gabriel looked to it, Nikki disappeared.
"Nikki?" a groggy Sara called.
"You know her?" Gabe inquired.
"Yeah, something's not right. I've never seen her - emotional."
"She did seem sad."
"I know, and that's not like her. Follow me, we're going to go see what's up."
"Sure thing Chief."
Nikki sat on her couch in shock. He was back, he was actually here. She hadn't expected to ever see him again. Not after what had happened the last time she had seen him so long ago. Not after she had hurt him so deeply.
"Hey Nikki, you okay in there?" A concerned Pez called.
"Sara?"
"Yeah."
"Come in, the door is open." Nikki said, her voice barely reaching the other side of the door. Sara opened the door and she and Gabe entered the apartment.
"You brought him. * sigh *" Nikki said, her voice distant.
"Is that a problem?"
"No, not really."
"What's up?"
"Time - memories - a lot of things. You cannot understand how truly lucky you are to be able to die and be reborn. You get to forget while I have to live with each and every memory - unending."
"Um what is she talking about Sara?"
"I suppose I should explain myself Gabriel." Nikki said, her voice unusually soft.
"H-how did you know my name?" Gabe inquired. Nikki looked him deep in the eyes allowing hers to flash and swirl like the gem in the Witchblade.
"I know a lot of things Mr. Bowman. I know things that you would never believe. I know things that would make your blood run cold. I know things that would burn your soul. I know things that you would sell your soul to find out."
"How?" Gabe asked. Nikki turned and looked out the window.
"A seed, from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, planted in the womb of a barren woman. She shall become timeless, this child. She shall guard, she shall watch, she shall protect and if necessary, she shall wield." Nikki quoted.
"What?"
"I am the living soul of the Witchblade. Created by it, from it, for it. Never given the choice, my fate sealed before I was even born." Nikki said sadly.
"Whoa! But why are you telling me this"
"There shall be four entities to guard, to aid, to help. They shall be drawn to the blade. One to wield - One to guard - One to record - and One to support. These entities shall carry these duties for all time be they timeless or not. The Lady, The Knight, The Phoenix, and the Angel. These shall be the facets, these shall be forever bout to the Blade, and so bound to each other."
"Whoa - " was all that Gabriel could say.
"I never thought that I would see the Angel again. Not after what happened the last time."
"What happened?" Sara asked.
"Due to what I am and how I was raised, I did not have much experience with people or emotions. When I found the three of you, I bonded instantly. I came to learn that I was fiercely protective - overprotective. Of the 3, I was closest to the Angel, and so most protective of him. One day, he told me that he had to leave. There was a battle being fought and he was needed. I didn't want him to go, I knew that if he left, he would not return. I grew very angry. I said things that I did not mean, I hurt him very deeply. After that day, I have not seen him until today. It has been well over a millennium." Nikki walked away - her posture was defeated - drained. Gabriel looked at her staring in wonder and disbelief.
"Sara, may I see the Witchblade please? It is calling to me."
"Sure." Sara said, slightly confused as she handed Nikki the Blade. Phoenix placed the blade upon her own wrist and it instantly snaked its way up her arm. The gem was at her wrist, but it wasn't exactly a bracelet nor was it a gauntlet. A silvery tendril extended itself, winding its way up her arm like a long lost lover. It did so so quickly that the eye could hardly follow. It looked to be magic how the Witchblade was attached to her wrist, rather her arm. And at the same time, one could see how it would be very difficult to remove the Blade from her person.
"Gabriel, give me your hand." Nikki said softly her voice trying to avoid emotion, though there was something playing in her voice. Gabe looked to Sara who shrugged, unsure.
"I'd love to help you here Gabe, but I think that this choice is yours and yours alone." Sara said her eyes reassuring.
"Gabriel, know that I would never harm you. What happened so long ago shall not happen again, but you need to know, you need to understand, and this is the easiest and safest way. Besides, the Blade misses you, it remembers you. it always knows its partners in crime." Nikki said with a soft smile. Gabriel tentatively reached his hand out to the strange girl - Nikki. Nikki took his hand in her Witchblade hand. They were instantly thrown into a world of times so long past.